Thai-Korea relationship strengthens

Sharing flood control & nuclear energy technology as well as increasing trade & investment featured in 900 billion baht 5-year agreement.

Photo of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at a meeting with officials at the Han River Flood Control Office in Seoul, South Korea. The premier said she is interested in using South Korea’s water management strategies as a model for Thailand (Photo: AFP)

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Bangkok, Seoul seal 900bn baht trade deal

25/03/2012

Bangkok and Seoul have sealed a deal to exchange technical support on water management, trade, investment and nuclear energy research, as well as raising the value of annual bilateral trade to US$30 billion (900 billion baht) in five years.

The agreement was made upon the arrival of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in Seoul Saturday afternoon. The prime minister and her entourage are on a four-day official trip to South Korea. She will also attend the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit for two days between tomorrow and Tuesday.

President Lee Myung-bak welcomed Ms Yingluck at his presidential residence where an official bilateral meeting between ministers and high-ranking officers from the two governments was held.

Thailand and South Korea agreed to exchange experience and technical knowledge on water management for disaster prevention. South Korea will support Thailand's efforts to build a system to manage water resources. The two governments will sign a formal cooperation agreement.

They also agreed to cooperate on military affairs and rehabilitation following natural disasters, as well as research and development on nuclear energy for peace.

On bilateral trade, Bangkok and Seoul want to see the value rise to $30 billion by 2016.

Ms Yingluck suggested the revival of the joint Thai-South Korean trade committee, which she said could help both countries achieve the goal.

The prime minister asked South Korea to import more eggs and fruit from Thailand and at the same time persuaded it to invest more in Thailand's industries such as automobiles, electronics, alternative energy and high-speed train services.

South Korea, meanwhile, wants to set up a South Korean cultural centre and a Korean studies centre in Thailand in one year.

Ms Yingluck also invited President Lee to attend the World Economic Forum on East Asia hosted by Thailand from May 30 to June 1.

Ms Yingluck and Mr Lee yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding on military cooperation between the two countries.

Today Ms Yingluck will visit the River Information Centre of the Han River Flood Control Centre in Seoul. She will be briefed on South Korea's experiences on flood control and management.

Tomorrow, the Thai premier will give a lecture to students at Ehwa Woman's University.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Bangkok, Seoul seal 900bn baht trade deal, 25/03/2012, link)

International Relations Vocabulary

international relations - "the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and multinational corporations (MNCs). It is both an academic and public policy field, and can be either positive or normative as it both seeks to analyze as well as formulate the foreign policy of particular states" (See Wikipedia)

Ehwa Woman's University - ??????? is "a private women's university in central Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the city's largest institutions of higher learning and currently the world's largest female educational institute. It is one of the best-known universities in South Korea, and often considered to be the top women's university there. Ewha was founded in 1886 by the American Methodist Episcopal missionary Mary F. Scranton" (See Wikipedia)
premier - prime minister

Tomorrow, the Thai premier will give a lecture to students at Ehwa Woman's University.

South Korea, meanwhile, wants to set up a South Korean cultural centre and a Korean studies centre in Thailand in one year.

culture (noun) - 1. the ideas, beliefs and ways of behaving of a group of people; and 2. activities involving music, literature and other arts and crafts (See Wikipedia)
cultural (adjective)

South Korean cultural centre
Korean culture - (See Wikipedia)
Korean Studies - (See Wikipedia on Korean Studies and Korean Language)
Korean studies centre


seal a deal - finish making a deal, agreement or contract; complete a deal
trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย
trade deal - an agreement between two countries to increase trade between the two countries

Bangkok, Seoul seal 900bn baht trade deal

technical - requiring special detailed knowledge (example: computers, electronics, manufacturing); involving materials, processes, and machines to do specialised work เฉพาะทาง
support - help สนับสนุน
exchange - when two people (or organizations) each give the other something
exchange technical support - helping each other by giving technical information or the help of skilled workers (engineers, technicians) 
water management - controlling the water in a country to meet the needs of homes, businesses and farmers while preventing damage from floods (See Wikipedia)
investment - taking your money and putting it into projects to make a profit or earn interest (buying stock shares, bonds, real estate)
nuclear energy - the use of sustained nuclear reactions with uranium and other nuclear fuels to generate heat, electricity and do useful work (See Wikipedia)
nuclear energy research
annual - happening once a year ประจำปี
bilateral - involving two groups or countries สองข้าง, เกี่ยวกับกลุ่มทางการเมืองสองกลุ่ม
annual bilateral trade - the total amount of goods ans services bought and sold between two countries in one year

Bangkok and Seoul have sealed a deal to exchange technical support on water management, trade, investment and nuclear energy research, as well as raising the value of annual bilateral trade to US$30 billion (900 billion baht) in five years.

arrival - when someone reaches where they are going (arrives) ขาเข้า การเข้ามา
official - approved by the government or some authority ที่เป็นทางการ
official trip - a trip for the government (taking care of government business)
residence - a place where someone lives ที่พำนัก ที่อาศัย ที่อยู่อาศัย
presidential residence - the place where the president of the country (Korea) lives 
meeting - when a group of people come together to discuss issues and make decisions การประชุม
official bilateral meeting - an official meeting between the two countries
officers - high ranking managers in an organization
high-ranking officers - very high level government employees (civil servants) 
official bilateral meeting between ministers and high-ranking officers from the two governments

The agreement was made upon the arrival of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in Seoul Saturday afternoon. The prime minister and her entourage are on a four-day official trip to South Korea. She will also attend the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit for two days between tomorrow and Tuesday. President Lee Myung-bak welcomed Ms Yingluck at his presidential residence where an official bilateral meeting between ministers and high-ranking officers from the two governments was held.

exchange experience and technical knowledge
disaster - something very bad that happens and causes a lot of damage or kills a lot of people ความหายนะ ภัยพิบัติ
prevention - the act of preventing something, or things that people do in order to prevent something
disaster prevention - taking action to stop disasters from happening in the future
water management for disaster prevention
efforts - the work done towards achieving some goal; people trying to accomplish something, achieve a goal ความพยายาม
natural resources - things such as coal, trees and oil that exist in nature and can be used by people ทรัพยากร
water resources - water available in a country from rivers lakes, rain, underground (groundwater), wells, etc (to be used by farms, homes and businesses)
resources - things such as money, workers and equipment that can be used to help achieve something ทรัพยากร
efforts to build a system to manage water resources
sign a formal cooperation agreement

Thailand and South Korea agreed to exchange experience and technical knowledge on water management for disaster prevention. South Korea will support Thailand's efforts to build a system to manage water resources. The two governments will sign a formal cooperation agreement.

cooperation (noun) - working together to achieve shared goals การร่วมมือกัน, การทำงานร่วมกัน
cooperate (verb) - work together to reach a common shared goal ร่วมมือกัน
affairs - events and activities relating to the government, politics, economy etc of a country, region, or the world ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างประเทศ
military affairs
cooperate on military affairs
natural - found in nature (not made in a factory by humans) ตามธรรมชาติ

rehabilitation - the process of making normal again after suffering injury or harm;  make acceptable and suitable for use again; making a system, building, etc., suitable for use again, i.e., bringing it back to a good condition การฟื้นฟูสภาพกิจการ the process of returning someone or something to a good or healthy condition, state or way of living การทำให้กลับสู่สภาพเดิม, การทำให้กลับมาดีเหมือนเดิม
rehabilitation following natural disasters - rebuilding after a harmful event such as a tsunami, floods or big storm
research and development on nuclear energy for peace
bilateral trade - the buying and selling of goods and services between two countries

They also agreed to cooperate on military affairs and rehabilitation following natural disasters, as well as research and development on nuclear energy for peace. On bilateral trade, Bangkok and Seoul want to see the value rise to $30 billion by 2016.

revival - bringing to life again; to bring back into use something that has not been used for a period of time
joint - done together; belonging to or shared between two or more people or groups or countries ความร่วมมือกัน ร่วม, ที่ร่วมกัน
joint Thai-South Korean - between the countries Thailand and South Korea
joint Thai-South Korean trade committee
the revival of the joint Thai-South Korean trade committee

Ms Yingluck suggested the revival of the joint Thai-South Korean trade committee, which she said could help both countries achieve the goal.

import - to buy or bring in products from another country นำเข้า
persuaded - tried to change what people think by giving them reasons; , try to change the way they think about an issue
alternative - another possible way, different from the usual ways; something that you can choose instead of something else ทางเลือก
alternative energy - other forms of energy (electricity, fuel for cars) outside the traditional oil and natural gas (See Wikipedia)
memorandum - an informal legal agreement ข้อตกลง
memorandum of understanding (MOU) - a temporary written agreement between two companies, etc. that explains how they intend to do business with each other and what their relationship will be (See Wikipedia)
flood control - taking action to stop a flood from causing damage

The prime minister asked South Korea to import more eggs and fruit from Thailand and at the same time persuaded it to invest more in Thailand's industries such as automobiles, electronics, alternative energy and high-speed train services. South Korea, meanwhile, wants to set up a South Korean cultural centre and a Korean studies centre in Thailand in one year. Ms Yingluck also invited President Lee to attend the World Economic Forum on East Asia hosted by Thailand from May 30 to June 1. Ms Yingluck and Mr Lee yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding on military cooperation between the two countries.  Today Ms Yingluck will visit the River Information Centre of the Han River Flood Control Centre in Seoul. She will be briefed on South Korea's experiences on flood control and management.